74th Anniversary of the Korean War:

Honoring the Voices of Our Fallen Patriots

Song Dae-sung

President of Korea, the America Korea United Society (AKUS)

This June marks the remembrance month for the 74th anniversary of the Korean War. Our fallen patriots would mourn if they were alive, seeing that the brutal regime responsible for this tragedy has persisted in North Korea for over 70 years. Many of these patriots lost their lives before they could fully bloom, becoming restless spirits due to the actions of this regime. For them to find peace, the communist group in North Korea must be swiftly eliminated, and the suffering people of North Korea must be liberated, achieving the dream of a unified, democratic Korean Peninsula. However, rather than being ousted, this cruel regime has only grown more oppressive, with power passing through three generations. Today, they are even attempting various devious methods to annex democratic South Korea, deepening the grief of our fallen patriots.

69th Memorial Day Poster/Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

North Korea relentlessly aims to destroy South Korea by adhering to its Military First Policy, or Songun Politics. This policy hinges on the belief that with strong military power, the regime will never fall, they can unify South Korea under communism, and they will maintain strong bargaining power against the United States and South Korea. Central to this military strength are Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), including nuclear weapons, missiles, and biochemical weapons. They doggedly pursue the development of these WMDs, following the directives of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un. The North Korean regime is prepared to use these formidable weapons to reduce South Korea to ashes at any moment.

The submissive approach of past South Korean regimes in handling inter-Korean relations, which has damaged national pride, is also troubling. These administrations secretly spent billions to meet with the North Korean leader, bringing along intelligence chiefs and high-ranking aides to bow and scrape. They even referred to the South Korean president as the “president of the South,” behaving as if South Korea were a satellite or tributary state of North Korea. Such actions would undoubtedly cause our fallen patriots to grieve if they saw it.

We must be vigilant against “treasonous influences” that harm South Korea and benefit North Korea. These influences undermine South Korea’s legitimacy while recognizing North Korea’s, display anti-American and pro-North Korean tendencies, devalue liberal democratic principles in favor of socialist and communist ideals, weaken South Korea's security and the ROK-US alliance, and promote a false sense of peace to push for ending the war, withdrawing US forces, and dismantling the ROK-US alliance. Ultimately, this culture aims to communize South Korea and achieve unification under North Korean communism without war.

These treasonous elements reject the legitimacy of South Korea and its founding president, Rhee Syng-man. They also dismiss the contributions of President Park Chung-hee, who revitalized South Korea, and the true patriots who contributed to the country’s development and prosperity. They thoroughly reject the United States and the ROK-US alliance, spreading propaganda that portrays the US as the enemy and the root of all evils on the Korean Peninsula. They disparage the ROK military personnel who protect South Korea and continually work to dismantle the military, exaggerating minor incidents to damage its reputation and portray it as a disorganized force.

The serious crisis facing South Korea stems from the rampant spread of treasonous culture and North Korea’s unilateral possession of nuclear weapons under Kim Jong-un’s regime. This culture threatens South Korea’s stability, potentially leading to its collapse from within without any external invasion. North Korea's nuclear weapons hold South Korea hostage, much like a gangster wielding a deadly weapon.

Addressing these national crises involves overcoming three main issues among many South Koreans. First, many do not recognize these serious crises for what they are. They lack a clear understanding of North Korea’s reality and do not perceive the North Korean regime as a grave adversary. They also mistakenly believe that North Korea would never use its nuclear weapons against South Koreans. Additionally, they view the rampant treasonous culture as merely a diverse cultural phenomenon among conservatives and progressives.

While many people are deeply concerned about the potential collapse of our country, they often expect others to take action rather than actively working to resolve these concerns themselves. They are quick to criticize but fail to take practical steps to address the problems. Instead of confronting the crises head-on, they prioritize their own safety and look for ways to escape.

To honor our fallen patriots, we must confront and either transform or permanently eliminate the dictatorial regime in North Korea, which stands as the root of all evils on the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, it is imperative for all citizens to recognize and actively work to eradicate the treasonous culture within South Korean society. Finally, a genuine national movement must emerge, one that equips our citizens with the spirit and resolve needed to protect and preserve the free and democratic Republic of Korea. Only then will the grieving of our fallen patriots cease, allowing them to rest in peace.